The Late Movies: Before-They-Were-Famous "Murder, She Wrote" Guest Stars

On CBS for 12 seasons, the whodunit starring Angela Lansbury as nosy Cabot Cove resident Jessica Fletcher was a treasure trove for celebrities of the '80s and soon-to-be stars. Even George Clooney appeared on the show twice, once in an uncredited role as a waiter, though no footage exists online of his guest roles.

1. Megan Mullally

Before she was Karen Walker on Will & Grace, Megan Mullally was causing trouble of another kind as Molly Connors in the 1988 episode "Coal Miner's Slaughter."

2. Neil Patrick Harris

In 1993, NPH was wrapping up his time as Doogie Howser, M.D., but made time to become a murder suspect. No worries, though—Jessica Fletcher came to the rescue. In this clip, Neil's character, Tommy, has a fight with his dad, which leads the town to think he murdered two people. Of course.

3. Bill Maher

Now he's a political commentator, talk show host and comedian. But before all that, he (and his mullet) guest starred on the Sunday night murder/mystery show not once, but twice—as two different characters. In this clip, he's interacting with the man who played the Big Lebowski, David Huddleston.

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Also on Mental Floss:

DID YOU KNOW? Marlon Brando hated memorizing lines so much that he posted cue cards everywhere to help him get through scenes.
He even asked for lines to be written on an actress's posterior. (That request was denied.)